Statement on Bush-Putin Agreement on Nuclear Reductions
Washington, D.C. … Council for a Livable World is encouraged by President Bush’s announcement today that the U.S. strategic arsenal will be reduced to between 1,700 and 2,200 weapons. It’s a good first step that has been a long time coming. It is critical to retire thousands of these unnecessary nuclear weapons.
However, the devil is in the details. There needs to be verification, counting rules and a procedure for dismantling the retired weapons. President Bush may be able to see into President Putin’s soul, but today’s verbal agreement can become tomorrow’s misunderstanding.
Moreover, the two Presidents need to take further steps to safeguard nuclear weapons material in the former Soviet Union so that it does not fall into terrorists’ hands.
Finally, we hope President’s Bush and Putin decided to stand by the ABM Treaty. Now is not the time to walk away from this landmark agreement.”